This is a very important election, as one of our backlogged candidates will finally get the keys to the exectutive washroom.

So let’s try to be very observant of our ‘best practices’ this week, including explaining votes that deviate wildly from the consensus, especially when you don’t vote for a returning top 10 guy. That would be: Joe Start, Pud Galvin, Bid McPhee, Cal McVey, Charlie Bennett, Harry Stovey, Jimmy Ryan, Frank Grant, Hugh Duffy and Sam Thompson. I know it sounds like a formality, but more than once I’ve been in the middle of explaining my ballot when I’ve realized I really don’t have a great justification for putting a guy in this particular spot, and I’ve adjusted. Kind of like the practice of forcing sports franchises to interview minority coaches. Sometimes, once you get the guy in there, you realize he’s a damn good candidate and you might not have otherwise even bothered to interview him.

Big vote this week, if you are in the middle of any relevant research, or haven’t reviewed your ballot in awhile, this is the week to take a second look. In 1906 a similar ballot was decided by 8.5 points. The following year, one of the two people that left the runner-up off moved him to #6 after reconsidering the evidence. Let’s avoid having that happen again, this time let’s all take an extra minute to review the arguments for an against the top candidates.

It was the most lopsided election ever, as Phillies leftfielder Ed Delahanty received 40 of 43 first place votes and was elected to the Hall of Merit in first year of eligibility.

Joe Start held onto the position of 1st runner-up for the 2nd straight year, but Pud Galvin made progress, jumping over Bid McPhee for 3rd place, and cutting the gap between he and Start from 36 to 9 points.

Other notable newcomers were Jimmy Ryan (8th) and Frank Grant (9th).

Cal McVey finished 5th for the second year in a row. Charlie Bennett passed Harry Stovey into 6th place, and Hugh Duffy rounded out the top 10.

Ezra Sutton has been elected to the Hall of Merit. Sutton comfortably topped a tight field with 762 points, beating Joe Start (698), Bid McPhee (678) and Pud Galvin (662).

Cal McVey finished 5th, narrowly edging Harry Stovey. Charlie Bennett was 7th, Hugh Duffy finished 8th, Sam Thompson was 9th and Hughie Jennings, in his first year of eligibility rounded out the top 10.

Time to get started with the discussion, as one of the top classes we’ll see joins the ballot. Ed Delahanty, Frank Grant, Jimmy Ryan, George Van Haltren, Herman Long, John McGraw, Tom Daly and Chief Zimmer join the ballot. The next few elections will be very interesting as we now are knee-deep in another generation of viable candidates.

I’d like to push further the idea of people justifying anyone not in the previous top 10 that is left off your ballot. Several people did this last time, and I think it’s a good idea. For this election that would be . . . Ezra Sutton, Joe Start, Bid McPhee, Pud Galvin, Cal McVey, Harry Stovey, Charlie Bennett, Hugh Duffy and Sam Thompson.